Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney or any of its properties.
Notes: This was written forever ago and posted to Tumblr. In an attempt to update this account with some things, I decided to post it here. This was partially inspired by a comic wherein Phoenix asks Edgeworth out during court, and the Judge tells the bailiff to hush because he has money riding on the outcome.
Accidental Confession
After another long "Objection!" chain between the defense and the prosecution, Athena sighed, leaning against the bench as she gave her boss an exasperated look. "After all that, you and Prosecutor Edgeworth might as well just kiss already, Boss," she said.
Phoenix's eyes were bright, and the thrill in his voice told her that he was still riding the high the fierce courtroom battle had given him. Perhaps that was why, then, he answered her much more loudly than he needed to—loudly enough for everyone to hear, and with words that he clearly didn't think through before speaking: "Trust me, there will be plenty of that later, Athena; after we win this case."
For a single heartbeat, the courtroom was silent. Phoenix seemed to realize what he'd said, for his eyes widened, and though his mouth opened, he couldn't seem to get his voice to work. Across the courtroom, Prosecutor Edgeworth put a hand to his forehead.
And that was when the courtroom exploded.
"HA! I knew it!" Athena turned to see a woman in the gallery nearly bowl over the people sitting in front of her so that she could lean over the front. Her hair was long and dark, and her clothes were strangely similar to the ones Pearl always wore. "I knew Nick would be the one to spill first, even if it did take him ten years! You owe me fifty bucks, Your Honor!"
"Maya?!" Phoenix cried, and she waved at him as their eyes met. "You—I—what are you even doing here?! You had a bet with His Honor over—what?!"
"Prosecutor Edgeworth, I put my faith in you to bring the truth to light first, and you let me down," the Judge said gravely. "I'm very disappointed in you."
"I'm very disappointed in my partner," Prosecutor Edgeworth said, and Phoenix cast him a helpless look.
"Would you believe it just slipped out?"
"I believe I'm going to assign you a penalty for causing me to lose a fifty dollar bet to your assistant," the Judge said, and Phoenix gave him a scandalized look.
"It was an accident! And I didn't even know you guys were betting! And she's not even my assistant anymore!"
Athena scooted aside as Apollo slid behind the defense bench. "Hey, Mr Wright? Uh, I think we're getting kind of off-track here . . . maybe we should ask His Honor to call a recess? If you want, Athena and I can take over . . ."
"No, it's fine . . ." Phoenix said, as Maya climbed over the gallery wall to accept her fifty dollar payment from the Judge and someone in the gallery shouted that the Judge should marry the prosecution and defense on the spot. "To be honest, this isn't all that different from my regular trials. At least there isn't a parrot involved this time . . ."